Processing

Processing of applications for authorisation or licence
The steps in processing of applications are normally as follows:

1. Registration of the application by the Archives/Registry
2. Dispatch to applicant of the invoice (giro) in connection with payment of the prescribed application fee
3. The applicant pays the application fee. (Note that unless the fee has been paid within four months of dispatch of the invoice, the application will be deemed to have lapsed.)
4. Processing by the Processing Team for the relevant professional category commences.
5. Should the processing take more than one month after the application fee has been paid, the Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel (SAFH) will make a provisional response indicating the length of time the processing is expected to take.
6. Should the application be insufficiently documented, SAFH will send a letter requesting that deficiencies be rectified. This usually applies to missing attachments, or the absence or unacceptability of attestation of attachments, often accompanying the letter containing a provisional response.
7. When all the necessary documentation in support of the application has been received, assessment is made as to whether the conditions for authorisation/licence have been met.
8. If necessary, the application is sent to an external professional/technical adviser (usually at a university/college). This may apply particularly to applicants from outside the EEC.
9. A draft letter of decision will be drawn up and assessed by the Processing Team, and a decision is made.
10. The authorisation/licence, or possible notice of rejection of the application, is dispatched to the applicant.
    
    In the event of complaints related to a decision by SAFH:
11. The applicant sends a letter of complaint to SAFH in connection with the rejection of the application.
12. SAFH assesses the complaint. If it is determined that the complaint is justified, the authorisation/licence is dispatched to the applicant. If the complaint is not felt to be justified, the letter of complaint and SAFH's reassessment is sent to the Statens helsepersonellnemnd (HPN - Norwegian Health Personnel Board) which serves as the complaints jury.
13. HPN processes the complaint. Its decision is forwarded to SAFH which communicates the decision to the applicant, together with the authorisation/licence where applicable.

Contact by telephone
Our Customer Service Centre (tel. no. + 47 21 52 97 00) provides general information on authorisation and licensing. First try to find what you are looking for on this website.

It is not necessary to ring for confirmation that your application has been received. However, if you have not received the invoice (giro) within two weeks, it would be reasonable to query whether your application has been received.

Please do not request to speak to the relevant desk officer before three working days have elapsed since the fee was paid. It is only then that the case will have been handed over to the Processing Team.

The case officer is able to provide information on the regulations, administrative procedures, processing, etc. But SAFH cannot deal with applications by telephone. The case officer cannot say whether an application will be granted or not. The decision is only taken when the case officer has produced a draft letter of decision, and after this has been endorsed by at least one additional colleague. Should you wish to provide additional information relating to your application, this should be in the form of a letter enclosing possible attachments.

Personal interview
Applications may be delivered and application forms, copies of regulations etc., may be obtained personally at our Customer Service Centre at SAFH's premises at Calmeyers gt. 1, 1st floor Opening hours for the public are from 9.00 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. on weekdays. Outside of these hours please ring in advance.

Applicants may request one interview with a case officer after the case has been handed over to the Processing Team (normally three days after the fee has been paid). The final paragraph under Contact by telephone above also applies to interviews with applicants.

Duration of processing
Registration of applications by the Archives/Registry and the dispatch of invoice fees usually takes two-three working days.

After we have received your application fee, it will normally take a couple of weeks before processing of the application has been finalised. But for applicants who received their education/training outside the EEC, processing can be expected to take longer (applications by general nurses, among others, presently takes from 6 to 12 weeks to process). If it is necessary to ask the applicant for additional documentation, it may take even longer.

Should you have strong reasons for the case to be treated as a matter of urgency, it is important to justify this in the letter accompanying your application.

Language requirements for medical practitioners educated outside the EU/EEA

SAFH would like to inform medical practitioners educated outside the EU/EEA and applying for authorisation in Norway of the requierement to follow a language course specialising in medical communcation in order to obtain your authorisation in Norway. The University of Oslo, Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies, organises language courses aimed at foreign medical practitioners. Basic language capacities are mandatory in order to enable foreign medical practitioners to perform in the Norwegian health sector. Consequently, the course aims at improving the candidate’s capability to communicate with patients, netx of kin and colleagues. Please contact the University of Oslo for more information about the course and how to participate.